Iran (IMNA) - Speaking on Saturday, Shekarchi dismissed as “false” and “ridiculous” a statement by the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), who claimed that American forces had facilitated the transportation of more than one billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two months.
The Iranian commander characterized the US statements as a failed psychological operation rather than an accurate account of developments in the waterway.
He argued that the remarks were intended to boost the morale of what he described as “exhausted and worn-out” US military personnel stationed in the region and to justify the substantial financial and human costs Washington has incurred through its regional military presence.
Shekarchi further maintained that such statements would not change what he described as the “expulsion” of US forces from the region.
“The initiative in the Strait of Hormuz remains in the hands of Iran’s powerful Armed Forces,” he said.
His remarks followed a statement posted on X by US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, who said American forces had facilitated the transportation of more than one billion barrels of oil through the strategic waterway over the preceding two months.
Cooper also claimed that US forces had provided protection for more than 2,000 commercial vessels during the same period.
According to the CENTCOM commander, the main transit lanes in the Strait of Hormuz had also been cleared of mines, enabling thousands of vessels to pass through the waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints and a major artery for global energy supplies.
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